The 2008 Amateur Draft was considered a great one for first-base prospects. As such, Ike Davis was only the 5th first-baseman selected in the 1st round, as Eric Hosmer, Yonder Alonso, Justin Smoak, and David Cooper were all drafted before the Mets picked Davis. And even then, some scouts considered another 1st rounder, Allan Dykstra, to be the better prospect. So understandably, feelings were mixed when the Mets’ GM Omar Minaya called Davis’ name at draft pick #18.

I still remember, sitting in my office while listening to the “Fan” (AM Radio, 660 WFAN in NYC) the outrage amongst some fans that the Mets let players such as Christian Frederich, Andrew Cashner and Gerrit Cole pass by. A popular Mets site, www.metsgeek.com, gave the Mets a grade “C” for their selection of Davis, and prominent analyst Kevin Goldstein went as far as to say “I’m not a huge fan of Ike Davis.” Toby Hyde saw Davis becoming merely a “platoon OF/1B type.”

The Scout network was kinder, noting that the Mets were prudent in selecting a hitter who was ready to move quickly through the system. ESPN Insider noted that Davis “has plus raw power and would easily hit 30-plus homers in the majors,” while Keith Law dubbed him “the best hitter left on the board”It seemed the consensus was that Ike Davis possessed some power and good bloodlines (his father, Ron Davis, was an All-Star pitcher for several clubs, most notably the Yankees). But would it do him any good?